The Vatican on Monday released a 20-page document, declaring that sex-change interventions risks threatening unique human dignity, as it said they are practices that reject God’s plan for human life.
Titled “Infinite Dignity”, the text which had been in the works for five years was only published on Monday by the Vatican doctrine office after Pope Francis signed off and approved it.
The Vatican said the document also reaffirms its condemnation of surrogacy, saying the practice represents “a grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child.”
According to the Associated Press, the message of the document is consistent with the Argentine Jesuit’s long-standing belief that while trans people should be welcomed in the church, so-called “gender ideologies” should not.
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“From a pope who has made outreach to the LGBTQ+ community a hallmark of his papacy, the document was received as a setback, albeit predictable, by trans Catholics,” the AP reported.
Advocates for LGBTQ+ Catholics have criticized the document since its publication, calling it outdated, harmful, and contrary to the stated goal of recognizing the “infinite dignity” of all of God’s children. They warned it could have real-world effects on trans people, fueling anti-trans violence and discrimination.
“While it lays out a wonderful rationale for why each human being, regardless of condition in life, must be respected, honored, and loved, it does not apply this principle to gender-diverse people,” Francis DeBernardo of New Ways Ministry, which advocates for LGBTQ+ Catholics is quoted by the AP to have said.
